“Sean had been working extremely hard to get back on the field, but regrettably he will miss the entire 2014 season. He will have a procedure done in the near future and we expect him to make a full recovery,” head coach Mike Smith said in a statement after Weatherspoon’s injury.

While Smith says he expects Weatherspoon to recover, he leaves out the uncertainty in Weatherspoon’s future.

The 2010 first-round pick is going into the final year of his rookie contract, and after another injury, he is earning the label of “injury-prone.” There’s not much worse you could call a player as he tries to earn a big pay day after a relatively modest rookie contract.

In a four-year career, Weatherspoon has only played one complete season. In 2011, he has 115 tackles and four sacks. His play seemed to hint that he was the future of the Falcons’ defense.

Weatherspoon was again solid in 2012, with 95 tackles, three sacks and a defensive touchdown, but his season was disrupted with an ankle sprain. In 2013, it was a Lisfranc injury followed by a knee problem. Now, it’s his Achilles in a contract year.

Weatherspoon will have the tough task of convincing teams next season that he still can be the thrilling playmaker who starred for the Falcons in 2011 and 2012. A big payday will have to wait until he can prove that his legs can be trusted.